For most of this year, “staying healthy” has essentially meant “not getting sick with coronavirus.” But in our single-minded pursuit of avoiding infection, many of us may have forgotten the basic elements of wellness: sleeping enough, eating a balanced diet, moving around, getting some fresh air, trying to relieve stress. And in a pandemic, we should be paying more attention to those things than ever.
I don’t mean to suggest that eating salad or taking a vitamin D supplement will prevent you from getting the virus. But it is true that people with underlying conditions have fared much worse during the pandemic than those without them, which is a good reminder that general health matters. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with conditions including cancer, heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of severe COVID-19. That means a huge percentage of the U.S. population is in an especially vulnerable position. In a dozen U.S. states, more than 35% of adult residents have obesity, according to CDC data released yesterday—and that’s just a single risk factor.
Most chronic conditions are caused by factors both in and out of your control, including genetics, socioeconomic factors and lifestyle. Lifestyle, the easiest of those to tweak, is not one to forget. Studies have shown that adopting healthy behaviors like exercising can significantly reduce your chances of getting conditions like heart disease, even if you’re at genetic risk. You don’t even need to take up marathoning. Over time, walks around the block, yoga videos or even doing housework can reduce your chances of developing chronic illnesses.
Beyond that, following basic health behaviors can make a measurable difference for your mental health—which, if you’re like the majority of Americans, hasn’t been at its best lately. Especially as cold weather looms for people in many parts of the country, threatening to force us back into our homes for long stretches of time, the basics are going to be more important than ever.
Of course, taking up a yoga regimen or cutting back on dessert aren’t silver bullets. But they are also much better than nothing. If any good comes from the pandemic, perhaps it will be a reminder that the choices we make every day add up—and when it matters most, they really do make a difference.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
More than 30 million people around the world had been sickened by COVID-19 as of 1 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 946,000 people have died.
On Sept. 17, there were more than 313,000 new cases and 5,456 new deaths confirmed globally. Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending:
Here is every country with over 350,000 confirmed cases to date ("per cap" is number per 100,000 people):
More than 30 million cases of COVID-19 have now been recorded around the world, as Europe battles a coronavirus resurgence, cases skyrocket in India and outbreaks continue to pop up across the U.S. Those 30 million cases are the result of months of failed attempts to contain the virus in countries across the globe—but in the past 24 hours, India alone has reported nearly 100,000 new infections. The coronavirus outbreak in India is exploding so fast that it looks likely to overtake the U.S. as the country with the most confirmed cases of the virus within the next few weeks—with about 5.2 million cases recorded, India is closing in on the U.S.’ 6.6 million.
Today is the deadline for world leaders to pledge binding commitments to COVAX, a World Health Organization-backed effort to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world. More than 170 countries—notably excluding the U.S.—have voiced interest in joining COVAX, though Brazil and several other Latin American nations have asked to submit their pledges later than today’s deadline, per Reuters.
Rosh Hashanah is typically a time for Jewish families to come together and celebrate the New Year. But in Israel, which just entered its second coronavirus lockdown, today’s holiday will be far more subdued than usual. The situation is an echo of that in China earlier this year, where early coronavirus lockdowns were implemented right around the start of Chinese New Year celebrations.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded more than 6.6 million coronavirus cases as of 1 a.m. E.T. today. More than 197,000 people have died. Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
On Sept. 17, there were more than 44,000 new cases and 870 new deaths confirmed in the U.S. Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending:
A controversial testing guideline posted on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website last month did not come from agency scientists, the New York Timesreports. The CDC was widely criticized for posting guidance that said asymptomatic people do not need to be tested for the virus, even if they’ve had prolonged contact with someone who is infected—a guideline that many experts said defied scientific understanding of how the contagion spreads. Now, the Times reports that policy came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and was posted on the CDC’s website despite objections from its staff.
Despite all the talk of (hopefully) pandemic-ending vaccines, Americans are split on whether they would actually get one, according to new data from Pew Research Center. Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults said they would definitely or probably get a vaccine if one were available today, while 49% said they definitely or probably wouldn’t. Only 21% of people said they would definitely get a vaccine—roughly half the number who said so in May. That drop likely relates to widespread concern that a vaccine may be rushed through development due to political pressure as Election Day nears.
As schools reopen across the country, a small but worrying trend has emerged: several students have attended classes despite receiving positive coronavirus test results. On Wednesday, the mayor of Attleboro, Mass., said one student came to class at Attleboro High School after receiving a positive test result, forcing 28 other students to quarantine for two weeks. Similar incidents have happened in Oklahoma and Indiana, the Washington Postreports. With U.S. schools and colleges rapidly becoming coronavirus hotspots, those reports will likely only add to parents’ and experts’ concerns about returning to in-person learning.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of September 18, 1 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Why Canceling Rent Isn't as Easy as It Sounds
Tenants across the country have lobbied for rent cancelations during the pandemic—but even in Ithaca, N.Y., one of the cities leading the charge, a policy hasn’t come to pass. TIME’s Abby Vesoulis explains why. Read more here.
The Pandemic Has Widened Science's Gender Gap
The historically male-dominated science world has become more so during the pandemic, Quartz reports. The proportion of scientific papers authored by women has fallen even lower during the coronavirus crisis than before it, likely suggesting female scientists have taken on more child care or other responsibilities. Read more here.
Towns On the Canadian Border Want an Exception
The border between the U.S. and Canada will likely remain closed to most travelers until at least November to stop the spread of COVID-19, Reuters reported this week. But some of the American families who live in border towns and regularly cross back and forth for work, school or essential errands are protesting, arguing that the border should reopen to local traffic, the Washington Post reports. Read more here.
Independent Bookstores May Be in Trouble
New data in Publisher’s Weekly show book sales are way down compared to last year. They were about 25% lower in July of this year compared to last, which is actually better than many preceding months. The last four months of the year may determine the fate of many independent bookstores, one executive told the publication. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Jamie Ducharme and edited by Alex Fitzpatrick.
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